Cape and tube assemblies which carry medicines and the like have obtained significant interest in the pharmaceutical industry. Not only is there a concern for resistance to undesirable tampering, such as by a child, there is increased interest in application of sterile fluids to the body for various treatment purposes.
In my recent patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,326, I have provided an excellent design for a child resistant cap. The design described in my patent is of great value in providing a product wherein there is easy and convenient inspection of unit dose sterile medicaments in a cap and tube assembly. The unit is child resistant and suitable for a high reliability pass/fail inspection by the user.
In my patented design, the cap is used to activate or pierce a thin wall in the tube which provides access to the contents of the tube. The cap then must be removed and the contents may be deployed. While this system is excellent for delivering unit doses of medicines, such as, for example, eyedrops, the prior art designs have not been entirely satisfactory when the contents of the tube are to be applied topically. Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a unit dose assembly for topical applications of the contents.
Often times, it is particularly desirable to be able to apply disinfectant and other sterilizing solutions to the skin directly, such as when injections or incisions are being made. Iodine solutions are often rubbed on the skin prior to administration of an injection.
Even in surgery, there are times when it is desirable to apply disinfectants or other medicaments topically. In operating room conditions, it is absolutely essential that the equipment be sterile and be protected from contamination from exterior sources. Thus, while the contents of a container might be sterile and suitable for use in surgery or other operating room procedures, the outside of the container itself is not sterile.
Additionally, even when a particular solution is used repetitively in a surgical procedure, it is less than desirable to have large quantities of these solutions. If all of the solution is not used, it is either wasted by being discarded or it represents a potential source of contamination when it is used during a succeeding procedure. For that reason, sterile unit dose applications of these solutions would be of great advantage to the art. It is another object of this invention to provide unit dose assemblies for topical applications under sterile conditions such as operating room environments.
One particular concern in surgical facilities is the need to account for objects before and after surgery. Accordingly, if a unit dose system were to be provided which would be sterile and otherwise suitable for accomplishing the objects of the present invention, concern would always remain that the cap might be lost. Once it has been used to puncture the thin wall end of the tube and has been removed to permit access to the contents of the tube, it must be accounted for separately. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a unit dose assembly for topical applications which remains in one piece after access to the tube has been obtained.
Other objects will appear hereinafter.